Continuous Training and Development for Library Staff: Enhancing Skills and Career Growth

Academic libraries today look very different from the quiet, book-lined halls of a generation ago. Catalogues have moved online, journals arrive as databases instead of bound volumes, and patrons expect help with everything from plagiarism software to institutional repositories. In this fast-shifting environment, the qualification a librarian earned years ago is rarely enough on its own. Continuous training and development has become the bridge that connects a staff member’s existing knowledge to the skills the modern library actually demands.

Why ongoing training matters for library staff 🔗

The core argument for continuous learning is simple: the tools, services, and expectations surrounding libraries keep changing, so the people running them must keep changing too. A peer-reviewed study on digital competency among library professionals found that continuing training in digital information literacy is essential for libraries to stay relevant and to support users effectively in a volatile digital landscape. Without it, even a well-staffed library risks falling behind the very community it serves.

From custodians to knowledge navigators 🔗

The role of the library professional has expanded well beyond lending books and answering reference queries. Staff are now expected to manage e-resources, run information literacy sessions, maintain digital repositories, handle research data, and guide users through complex online databases. Research on librarians’ information literacy skills points to a clear need for continuous skill development and technological integration so that staff can meet the evolving needs of digital users. Each new responsibility carries its own learning curve, and training is what keeps that curve manageable.

Keeping pace with library technology 🔗

Library systems rarely stand still. Integrated library management software gets updated, discovery layers are introduced, open-source platforms like DSpace and Koha gain new features, and metadata standards evolve. A staff member comfortable with a card catalogue or a basic OPAC may struggle when the institution shifts to a cloud-based system or launches an institutional repository. Structured training ensures these transitions strengthen the library rather than disrupt it.

What continuous training and development covers 🔗

Training for library staff is not a single course but a spread of competencies that grows as the profession does. The most useful programmes typically address several areas at once.

Digital and technical skills: managing library automation software, e-resource administration, digital preservation, and handling networked services. Information literacy instruction: teaching users to locate, evaluate, and ethically use information, which has become a central educational duty of academic libraries. Data and research support: assisting with research data management, citation tools, and plagiarism detection. Management and leadership: strategic planning, budgeting, and advocacy for staff moving into supervisory roles. Soft skills: communication and user engagement, which a UK study found that continuing professional development helps build alongside technical knowledge.

Academic research on developing staff digital literacies notes that the shift from print to digital collections, virtual spaces, and high-speed retrieval has made digital literacy a critical skill for everyone working in a library, not just the technology specialists. This is why effective development programmes treat learning as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event.

The UGC’s role in library staff development 🔗

In the academic system, the University Grants Commission has long recognised that librarians and library staff deserve the same structured professional development offered to teaching faculty. Its mechanisms tie training directly to both competence and career progression, which gives staff a strong incentive to keep learning.

Refresher courses and the Malaviya Mission centres 🔗

The UGC’s training network was built around the former Academic Staff Colleges, later renamed Human Resource Development Centres, and now operating as Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centres (MMTTCs). These centres run orientation programmes, refresher courses, short-term courses, and workshops across the country. Several have organised programmes specifically for library professionals, including training tied to the N-LIST programme and INFLIBNET resources for librarians of colleges and universities.

The restructuring into the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Programme was driven partly by the National Education Policy 2020, which stresses the need for capable, continuously developing staff in higher education. Under this framework, the UGC has emphasised that continuous professional development is essential given the dynamic nature of teaching, learning, and academic support work. Refresher courses in library science, in particular, help working professionals update their subject knowledge and adapt to new practices in a structured, certified setting.

Career advancement through training requirements 🔗

What makes the UGC approach distinctive is that training is woven into the promotion system rather than left optional. Under the Career Advancement Scheme, an assistant librarian’s eligibility for higher posts has historically depended on completing refresher courses or comparable continuing education programmes of a specified duration, alongside satisfactory performance appraisals. This links professional growth directly to ongoing learning, so a librarian who invests in development also advances in pay scale and designation. It is a model that treats training as a career investment, not a chore.

INFLIBNET and capacity building for library professionals 🔗

Alongside the MMTTCs, the Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre plays a major role in upskilling library staff. Established as a UGC programme in 1991 and later made an autonomous inter-university centre, it has made human resource development one of its founding objectives, aiming to train library professionals in emerging technologies.

Training programmes and workshops 🔗

INFLIBNET runs a wide range of capacity-building activities. These include the INFLIBNET Regional Training Programme on Library Automation (IRTPLA), conducted in collaboration with universities and often delivered in local languages for clearer communication. It also offers Attachment Training Programmes, where working professionals train directly with experienced INFLIBNET staff and then return to apply that knowledge in their own institutions.

The centre’s workshops cover both fundamentals and advanced topics, from basic computer literacy to building institutional repositories, managing e-resources, using open-source software, and applying digital preservation standards. Its national conventions, CALIBER and PLANNER, give staff additional opportunities to learn about current trends in library and information science. Over the years, these efforts have produced a body of technically skilled professionals who act as change agents within their own libraries.

Building a culture of learning in academic libraries 🔗

Formal courses are powerful, but a library that depends on them alone leaves gaps between training sessions. The strongest libraries build everyday learning into how the team works. The digital competency research mentioned earlier noted that staff often prefer practical, peer-based learning, which underlines the value of on-the-job support and mentoring within the institution itself.

Self-paced and free resources have made this easier than ever. Platforms such as OCLC’s WebJunction offer free webinars and on-demand courses on library-specific topics, giving staff flexible paths to keep their skills current between formal programmes. Encouraging staff to attend conferences, share what they learn with colleagues, and document their development helps turn individual learning into collective capability. When a library treats curiosity as part of the job, training stops being an interruption and becomes part of the routine.

How training translates into career growth 🔗

The benefits of continuous development run in two directions at once. For the institution, well-trained staff deliver better services, manage technology more confidently, and contribute to accreditation and quality processes. For the individual, training builds the competence and credentials that open the next door.

A librarian who completes refresher courses and technical workshops becomes eligible for advancement under the UGC framework, gains confidence in handling new systems, and develops the leadership skills needed to move into senior roles. Networking through workshops and conventions also widens professional connections, which can lead to collaboration and new opportunities. In a field where the only constant is change, the staff who keep learning are the ones who keep growing.

What do you think? If you were designing a development plan for a college library team, which skills would you prioritise first, and why? And do you think tying promotions to mandatory refresher courses helps staff grow, or does it risk turning learning into a box-ticking exercise?

References

1. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.909502/full
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/383170950_Information_Literacy_Skills_of_Librarians_and_Service_Delivery_in_the_21st_Century_A_Comprehensive_Analysis
3. https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10047194/3/Inskip_Digital-literacy-unpacked-accepted.pdf
4. https://b-u.ac.in/ugc-human-resource-development-centre
5. https://mmc.ugc.ac.in/
6. https://www.ugc.gov.in/oldpdf/psorders/caspaysch06.pdf
7. https://hrd.inflibnet.ac.in/about.php
8. https://www.oclc.org/en/webjunction.html